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Ferrando: The Essence of Carema
featured, Italy: Piedmont
, Mar 2026
Nebbiolo is such a beguiling, complex, mysteriously beautiful grape. In Carema’s best sites, the indigenous biotype of Nebbiolo known as Picotendro yields wines like no other—aromatic, structured reds that capture the essence of place and vintage. The Ferrando family has turned out compelling wines here since the 1960s, wines that define what Carema is all about. Two recent vertical tastings provided an incredible opportunity to survey Ferrando’s wines all the way back to 1964, prior to the creation of the Carema DOC.
The Fantastic Four: Alto Piemonte, Canavese, Valtellina & Valle d’Aosta
featured, Italy: Piedmont
, Feb 2026
My annual trip through northern Italy once again highlighted the extraordinary diversity of the stretch of tiny appellations often marked by heroic viticulture and rugged landscapes. Here at the foothills and lower slopes of the Alps, readers will find some of the most fascinating, complex wines in the world. This report focuses on Alto Piemonte and also looks at Nebbiolo and Nebbiolo-based wines in nearby appellations, including Canavese and Valtellina. For the first time, I also include wines from a handful of estates in Valle d’Aosta, which shares a border with Carema.
2022 Barolo: Half-Full or Half-Empty?
featured, Italy: Piedmont
, Jan 2026
Two thousand twenty-two is one of the most complicated vintages I have seen in the more than 25 years I have visited Piedmont on a regular basis. The 2022 Barolos are frustratingly erratic, wildly inconsistent wines, and yet some growers found a way to make the most out of the hand they were dealt by Mother Nature. It’s a vintage to approach with caution. There are some real gems in 2022, but they are very much the exceptions.
Cavallotto: Raiding the Cellar
featured, Verticals & Retrospectives, Italy: Piedmont
, Dec 2025
The first edition of Vinous Icons: Italy, held in May 2025, got off to a serious bang with this vertical tasting and dinner of Cavallotto Barolos dating back to the 1960s. It was a special evening of superb wine, food and the kind of camaraderie that the best wines inspire. We surveyed Barolos across six decades, a great opportunity to examine how these wines have developed over several generations.
Giacomo Conterno: Seven Decades of Barolo Riserva Monfortino
featured, Verticals & Retrospectives, Italy: Piedmont
, Dec 2025
La Festa del Barolo 2024 was full of highlights. Our vertical tasting and dinner featuring Conterno’s flagship Barolo Riserva Monfortino was one of the most highly anticipated events of the weekend. It was a magical night. The wines spoke with tremendous eloquence, while our guests brought energy and enthusiasm to match.
Piedmont Icons Dinner
featured, Verticals & Retrospectives, Italy: Piedmont
, Dec 2025
Reference points. That’s one of the key themes we think about when we develop events, tastings and seminars. This recent dinner showcased five benchmark grower estates, each with their best wines and vintages. It was a magical evening that once again showed how powerful wine can be as a catalyst for conversation and friendship.
Massolino Barolo Riserva Vigna Rionda Vertical Tasting & Lunch at La Festa del Barolo
featured, Verticals & Retrospectives, Italy: Piedmont
, Dec 2025
Vigna Rionda holds a special place in the hearts and minds of Barolo lovers. It’s an evocative vineyard, a magical site that has given birth to extraordinary Barolos for the last several decades. The Massolino family have long been stewards of Rionda and all the history that lies within its slopes. This lunch, featuring ten vintages of Massolino’s Barolo Riserva Vigna Rionda with Franco Massolino, offered a unique opportunity to explore the nuances of this historic vineyard as seen through the lens of one of its greatest interpreters.
Cellar Favorite: 1945 Riccardo Viganò Barolo Gran Riserva Cannubi
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, Italy: Piedmont
, Nov 2025
The 1945 Barolo Gran Riserva Cannubi from Riccardo Viganò is an emotional, deeply moving wine. I doubt I will ever see or taste it again, and there must be few bottles left anywhere.
2022 & 2023 Barbaresco: Pushed to the Limit
featured, Italy: Piedmont
, Oct 2025
Barbaresco faced two very challenging growing seasons in 2023 and 2022. Quality is inconsistent across the board. These are vintages in which readers will have to be especially selective, but there are some undeniable stars in both years.
2021 Barolo Part Two: Restless Energy
featured, Italy: Piedmont
, Sep 2025
I was once again deeply impressed with the 2021 Barolos. My summer tastings focused on late releases and other wines I missed earlier in the year, along with a few 2021s I had a chance to revisit. Those tastings confirmed that 2021 is an exceptional year in terms of both quality and consistency. As I have written before, savvy Piedmont fans should note that it will be some time before another vintage of this caliber enters the market.